- Nisar says growing anti-Pakistan activism by Indian extremist outfits deteriorating ties with New Delhi
- Says he won’t approve of Pakistan playing cricket in India
Federal Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said on Monday that Pakistan would not hold talks with India until New Delhi ‘behaves responsibly’. The security czar also said that he would also not approve of Pakistan playing cricket with India, particularly on Indian soil.
Talking to senior journalists at the Interior Ministry, Nisar noted the rampant anti-Pakistan activism by Hindu extremist outfits, particularly Shiv Sena and said the Pakistani government would push the United Nations to list the group among the world’s terrorist organisations.
“We will not play cricket in India, I will oppose it,” he said.
Pakistan has repeatedly tried to extend brotherly ties with India, but it always responded with hate-campaign, the minister maintained. “India has humiliated our people from all walks of life, I will raise this matter before the cabinet,” said the minister.
The interior minister’s statements came in the wake of growing tension between the cricket boards of Pakistan and India as next month’s scheduled series between the two countries remain in doubt after both sides once again failed to reach an agreement on where the matches should be played.
Earlier in October, a meeting between Pakistan and India’s cricket board officials was cancelled after Shiv Sena workers stormed the Mumbai office of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), further worsening matters.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has asked the PCB not to take any decision without prior approval from the government.
“The board should not decide about going to India before clear instructions are given,” the statement read.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) wants to stage the matches in the United Arab Emirates, which has been the team’s “home” base since 2009 because of ongoing security concerns that prevent international teams from visiting.
But the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) said the Indian government would not permit its team to play Pakistan in the UAE, so the series would have to be played in India.
The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding in 2014 that Pakistan would host their next series after India had staged their previous two meetings.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Shaharyar Khan on Saturday said he was still waiting for an explanation as to why the Indian government was opposed to its team playing in UAE, but was adamant that Pakistan would not go to India.
“There is no question of playing in India. I’m still awaiting the reason of not playing in UAE,” Khan had said.
“We went there in 2007 and 2012. This time not again. It is our series and we will play at our home venue which is the UAE.”
